Grave marker and method of making the same



Oct. 12, 1937. ROY 2,095,290

GRAVE MARKER AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed May 22, 1936 lnuru or a 7 W Wei/J Patented Oct. 12, 1937 PATENT OFFICE GRAVE MARKER AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Emil Roy, Ebenezer, N. Y. Application May 22, 1936, Serial No. 81,294

7 Claims.

arranged as to'avoid subjecting the various parts to. any destructive strains resulting from either temperature fluctuations, or from changes in volume caused by aging of the concrete; (3) that permits of reducing to a minimum the amount 15, and required accuracy of the field work required in setting up the marker; and (4) that will resist the efforts of even very vicious vandals.

Numerous other objects of the invention and practical solutions thereof are disclosed in the herein specification and in the accompanying claims.

In the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 is avertical, longitudinal section through the preferred form of my invention, taken on line Fig. 2 is atop plan thereof.

Fig. 3is a fragmentary, vertical, transverse section thereof, taken on line 33, Fig. 2. A

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, horizontal section taken just below one of the bolt heads on line 4 4,Flg. 1. Similar characters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

The method of constructing my improved grave marker is to first cast a plaque 10 of bronze or other suitable material, said plaque having a suitable, raised-letter inscription II which is cast integrally thereon in amanner well known in the art of casting metals. This plaque is of rectangular or other suitable form and is customarily provided with a peripheral, upwardly-projecting, side wall l2. Suitable dowel pins 13 are secured to the outer edges of the plaque and project horizontally and outwardly therefrom. These dowels may be secured in place either by a drilling operation after the plaque has been cast, but, preferably, are embeddedin place in the plaque during the casting of said plaque, in the usual and well known core hole manner.

The lower face of said plaque is provided with a'pair of "depending, integral, rear cylindrical bosses I4 and a pair of depending, integral, front, cylindr'ical bosses MI. The plaque is also provided (see Figs. 3 and 2) with a pair of drain holes 5 l5 which extend downwardly from the upper face of the plaque and then extend laterally, and open against the adjacent sides of their companion, front bosses MI.

After said plaque has been completed as just described, it is cast integrally in place in a con- 5 crete block IS. A pair of metal or other tubes l1, provided with flared ends, are also cast integrally in place at this time axially in line with the front bosses I'M. Prior to this casting operation, the lower face and the four edges or end faces of the 10 plaque l0 are coated with a layer of plastic material IB, the purpose of which is to exclude water from the space between the plaque and the block, even though movements of said block and said plaque occur relatively to each other as a conse- 15 quence of temperature fluctuation or change in volume of the block due to the aging of the concrete. In the event, however, that water did work its way through said plastic material l8 and down between the plaque l0 and block 16, it would be 20 able to pass into one or other of the tubes [1, the joint between the latter and the plaque l0 not being a tight one.

Said block I6 is provided with a pair of horizontally disposed, reinforcing members 20, 2M 25 constructed of heavy wire screening having a mesh sufficiently large to readily slip over the tubes H. The four edges of the upper reinforcing member 20 are turned up so as to reinforce the shoulder 2| which projects upwardly from the block l6 and peripherally bounds the recess 22 of the block IS in which the plaque I0 is located. This shoulder 21 also embraces the dowel pins 13 of the plaque H). The side walls of the block are provided, during the cement casting operation, with a horizontal, V shaped, peripheral groove l9.

To more rigidly secure said plaque ID to the block I 6, a pair of rear bolts 23 and a pair of front bolts 23] are threaded up into. the companion 40 bosses H and MI respectively, the upper faces of the head of said bolts engaging with the lower face of the block. The shape of the heads of the rear bolts 23 is immaterial so long as the diameter of said heads is large enough to get a good footing 45 on said block. The heads of the front bolts 23I are, however, of special shape (see Figs. 4 and 1), so as to enable water to drain downwardly from their companion tubes ll. This is effected by forming a pair of notches 24 in the head of each ,5 of said front bolts 23L The two pairs of bolts 23 and 23| may be screwed into place either before or after theplaque is embedded in the block IE, but, prefer-' ably, the plaque is first cast in place in the block and the two pairs of bolts then screwed into place and tightened up.

The foregoing represents the amount of fabrication that is carried out in the factory. The following represents the field work of the setting up of my improved grave marker.

In the ground at the cemetery a rectangular cavity 25 is excavated. Suitable form boards may, of course, be used if the character of the soil requires it, or for a similar reason the initially cut wall may be provided with a light coat of cement prior to the actual concrete pouring operation. A lower stratum 26 of concrete is now poured (and tamped) up to the level 21 and reinforced with a reinforcing member 28 constructed of heavy wire screening of coarse mesh. All four sides of this reinforcing member are bent vertically upward at 30 and are pushed down into the soft concrete with a considerable portion of the upstanding portions 30 of said reinforcing member extending upward above the surface 21 of the lower concrete stratum 26. Instead of pushing down said reinforcing member 28 into the soft concrete, said reinforcing member may,

- if desired, be secured in place by wire, chaplets,

or by other suitable means prior to the concrete pouring operation, in the usual and well known manner.

A drainage duct 3| is also embedded in the lower stratum of concrete 26. This duct may be made of metal sections welded together as shown, or it may be cast in one solid piece from some suitable metallic or ceramic material. This drainage duct 3| extends a short distance beyond the lower concrete stratum 26 and has a pair of tubular intakes 32 and 332. These intakes are flanged at their upper part flush with the concrete level 21, and surround the heads of the front bolts 23! and thus receive drainage water from the front tubes l1.

After the lower concrete stratum 26 has become sufficiently hard, the concrete block I6 is given a coat of plastic material 33 on its rear and four side faces and is then placed in position on said lower concrete stratum 26, together with its superincumbent plaque i6 and its bolts 23, 23l, etc. Concrete is now poured either up to level 29, as shown, or, if desired, clear up to the top face of the shoulder 2| of the concrete block Hi, to form an upper-concrete stratum 34. The latter is firmly bonded to the lower stratum 26 of the concrete by reason of the freshness of the upper surface 21 of said lower stratum 26 at the time the upper stratum 34 is laid and also by reason of the upstanding portions 30 of the reinforcing member 28 which unstanding portions are embedded in both of the concrete strata 34 and 26.

These two strata together constitute what may be termed a foundation body, whose base is preferably located below the frost line and whose upper part firmly embraces the block l6, the upper stratum of concrete 34 forming, in effect, a rectangular wall or peripheral rim which prevents lateral displacement of the block i6 and firmly prevents vertical displacement of the latter by the engagement of the concrete of the foundation body with the peripheral groove IQ of the block !6.

The joint between the block l6 and the drainage duct 3| is not a tight joint and hence, if any water should work its way through the plastic material 33 between the block l6 and the concrete foundation body, such water would be able to pass into said drainage duct 3|.

Drainage of water out of said drainage duct 3| is taken care of in any of the usual and well known manners, for instance by the use of a line of suitably sloped drainage tiles 35 whose joints are suitably covered by gravel 36, or other suitable material, such as burlap, etc.

From the foregoing description and appended drawing it will be obvious that this improved grave marker is not only much more attractive in appearance than any grave marker heretofore used, but is practically indestructible by either the weather or by vandals; is inexpensive to install; and requires no maintenance after once being installed.

I claim as my invention:--

1. A grave marker comprising a block having an opening; a plaque having a drain hole communicating with said opening; a bolt of smaller diameter than said opening and arranged within said opening and connected with said block and threaded into said plaque; a foundation body; and means for draining said opening.

2. A grave marker comprising a block having an opening; a tube disposed within said opening; a plaque having a drain hole communicating with the bore of said tube; a bolt of smaller diameter than the bore of said tube and arranged within said opening and conected with said block and threaded into said plaque; a foundation body; and means for draining said tube.

3. A grave marker comprising a block having an opening; a plaque having a drain hole communicating with said opening; a bolt of smaller diameter than said opening and arranged within said opening and threaded into said plaque and having a notched head bearing against one face of said block; a foundation body; and means for draining said opening.

4. A grave marker comprising a block having an opening; a tube arranged in said opening; a plaque having a drain hole communicating with said tube; a bolt of smaller diameter than the bore of said tube and arranged within said tube and conected with said block and threaded into said plaque; a foundation body; and means for draining said tube.

5. A grave marker comprising a plaque having a drain hole; a foundation body having a drainage duct; means connecting said plaque and said foundation body; and means tubularly connecting said drain hole with said drainage duct.

6. The method of constructing a grave marker comprising: making an excavation in the ground; pouring primary concrete in said excavation up to a certain level; allowing said primary concrete to partially harden; placing a block having a plaque upon said partially hardened, primary concrete; and pouring secondary concrete upon said primary concrete around said block.

7. The method of constructing a grave marker comprising: making an excavation in the ground; pouring primary concrete in said excavation up to a certain level; placing a horizontally disposed reinforcing bar within said primary concrete, said bar having one end turned upwardly and projecting above said level; allowing said primary concrete to partially harden; placing a block having a plaque upon said partially hardened primary concrete; and pouring secondary concrete upon said primary concrete around said block.

EMIL ROY. 

